The Challenge of Christmas Shopping for Mom
by deathcurse
Summary: Getting the right present for Mom is always hard. All Fate wanted was to make her happy. A two part Christmas story--Christmas with the Testarossas and with the Harlaowns.
1. Making Mother Happy on Christmas

**Making Mother Happy on Christmas**

AKA Christmas with the Testarossas

"Arf."

"Coming!" Arf quickly hid her box of dog biscuits and jumped over to Fate's side, shifting into her wolf form before lowering her head for Fate's hand. "What does that…woman want next?"

"Mother asked me to find an artefact for her." Fate closed her eyes, and called out her Barrier Jacket, tying her cape around her shoulders before taking hold of Bardiche. Their teleportation circle sprang into being beneath them, the coordinates already fixed in Fate's mind. They had a routine now.

"Maybe she should try getting her butt out of that chair and doing work herself for once," she heard Arf grumble before they vanished into a column of yellow light.

Panting, Fate swung Bardiche back, letting the expensive but non-magical necklace drop back amongst the other jewellery. Not an artefact, but someone had probably used it for magic before, hence why Bardiche had picked up some traces on the gem. She wiped her forehead, staggering a little before leaning against the broken glass counters. This was the eighth store she had visited, and from the time it didn't look like she could make it to a ninth before the stores opened for the morning shoppers.

"Fate!" Arf hissed from where she was keeping a lookout at the window. "Someone's coming!" They ducked out the back entrance, shutting the broken door as silently as they could before sneaking around onto the street again. Fate released her Barrier Jacket and tucked Bardiche into her pocket, trying to hopefully blend in with the early shoppers walking on the sidewalks of the shopping district.

"There are a lot of people this early," Fate murmured to Arf, who only wuffed, as she couldn't answer aloud and the observation wasn't worth commenting on telepathically. "I wonder why?" She paused at a crosswalk and read a sign hanging off a department store building. "Christmas sales? Already?"

_There's only a few days left until Christmas,_ Arf pointed out.

_ Is it? I didn't notice…_

_ With all the missions that woman keeps sending you on, I'm surprised you even noticed that you need to sleep every 24 hours._

Fate decided to refrain from answering, as she knew that Arf would only get annoyed if she tried to defend Mother. She loved Arf, but Arf just didn't understand the relationship between her and her mother.

"Hello!" A saleswoman smiled at her. "Are you looking for presents for your parents?"

"Um…" Fate wished that she could hide behind Arf, but the lady had already looked her in the eyes and it would be rude not to answer. "Y-yes…for my mother…"

"We have some nice clothing on sale, why don't you come in and see if you can find something you like?" The saleswoman coaxed, gesturing towards the glass sliding doors of the store. Arf growled, her thick ruff rising but Fate quickly wove her fingers into Arf's fur and scratched her neck soothingly.

"Ah…" the lady gulped, eyeing Arf with some trepidation, "Pets aren't allowed in the store…"

"She's…my aid dog," Fate lied, feeling her entire face grow red. Thankfully, the woman seemed to take her blush as embarrassment of admitting that fact instead of guilt at lying, and after a few hasty apologies she bowed them through the door.

Brushing her hand over the racks, Fate asked timidly, _Arf, do you think Mother would like one of these?_

Arf hesitated, then licked Fate's palm and rumbled soothingly in her throat. _I'm sure anything you want to get that woman would be nice, Fate._

More boldly, Fate browsed through the racks, pushing aside outfits that were entirely unsuitable. Then one blouse she disregarded revealed a knitted purple sweater behind it that made her pause. Gingerly, Fate touched the sweater and felt threads of memory come to her—she had, with Linith's help, gotten Mother a purple sweater before. Mother must have liked it, because she had looked so happy and wore it often when they went out on picnics. This one even looked like it, although Fate hadn't seen Mother wear hers for a while. Maybe Mother had lost it…

Fate looked at Arf. _Um…_

Arf wagged her tail encouragingly.

Fate didn't even look at the price before handing it over to the cashier for gift-wrapping. But just as the man rang up the purchase and handed her the bag with a smile, Fate was struck by second thoughts.

_Arf…maybe I should work harder to find that artefact instead…I think it would make Mother happier to get that than something like this…_

_ You could give her both,_ Arf suggested, and although Fate knew Arf tried to hide her doubts she picked out the forced cheeriness anyways. _I'm sure that no matter what, she'll be delighted with anything you get her._

"Fate."

Fate inched forward—she was ashamed of her hesitance, but her legs trembled when she crept towards Precia's chair. "Y-yes, Mother?"

Precia stared at her, then held a box up by the wrapped ribbon, as if it was a disgusting piece of garbage that she wanted to avoid touching as much as possible. "What is this?"

"It's…a Christmas present," Fate stammered. "B-because I'm s-sorry…I couldn't find the artefact, but…but I'm hoping that you'll like…like my present instead."

She flinched under the weight of her mother's cold eyes, but then Precia sighed, lowering the box into her lap. Fate scooted closer, watching Mother's face eagerly. Impatiently, Precia tore the wrapping paper and let the pieces fall onto the floor, lifting the lid to the box callously.

She stared at the sweater for so long Fate forced herself to speak past her terror and anticipation, "M-Mother? Do you…" The oddest combination of emotions flooded across her mother's face: shock, recognition then a warm affection that Fate longed for, that she hadn't seen for a few years now—then that loving expression _changed _abruptly.

Ripping fabric echoed through the room as shreds of purple wool landed violently on the ground, and Fate curled into a ball on the floor at the sound of Precia rising from her chair, her face pressed into the stone and her whimpering as the only sound in the ominous silence.

Arf almost missed the faint sound of the great doors opening, but when she did she quickly took her hands off her ears and raced over, catching her precious Fate when the girl staggered into the outer hall. Fate had put her cape back on to hide the worst of her injuries, but Arf could still see angry red weals winding down her arms.

"Fate!" Cradling Fate against her chest, Arf put her ears back in frantic concern.

Stirring slightly, Fate coughed, turning in Arf's grip until blank red eyes stared through her limp hair into Arf's. "Arf…we…we need to go…look for the artefact."

"We don't need to do anything for—" Arf erupted, knowing that Precia could hear her and not caring a whit about it.

Fate interrupted her, her voice so weak Arf didn't have the heart to speak over her. "I made Mother sad…because I didn't get her what she wanted. I keep making her sad…Arf, please." Although it broke Arf's heart to see the effort that took from her precious master, Fate straightened and smiled weakly. Standing on her own, Bardiche in hand, Fate whispered shyly with strains of broken love in her eyes, "I want to make Mother smile on Christmas."

_Author's Note: ….I'll fix it, I promise! The next part will be _What Mom Wants for Christmas, AKA Christmas with the Harlaowns…


	2. What Mom Wants for Christmas

**What Mom Wants for Christmas**

AKA Christmas with the Harlaowns

Ah, darn. Fate frowned as the tape dispenser went empty at her last pull, her other hand trying to hold the corner of the wrapping paper in place. She knew that she should have done this earlier, but spending Christmas Eve morning at Nanoha's had made Fate forget all about the presents that she hadn't finished wrapping. Putting a sweater over her half-wrapped present to hide it, Fate snuck downstairs and knocked on Chrono's door.

"What?" Chrono opened his door a crack. Fate shifted nervously, seeing that he seemed a little annoyed. She didn't see why, as Amy was here early for Christmas Eve dinner that day and he was always more relaxed and less serious when she was over. Which was nearly all the time anyways, so Amy even had her own room, although she spent a lot of time with Chrono.

"Um…can I borrow some tape please?"

Chrono's head disappeared for a moment, then reappeared, dropping some tape into her hand and closing the door again. Fate hesitated at his door, wondering if he was mad at her and if she should apologize for something, but decided that it must be a boy thing and not her fault. Chrono was really serious but he was always nice to her. She made her way back up the stairs before the sound of Lindy's laughter made her pause at the top.

"…and Fate-chan said to him shyly, "I think the plug is on the other end." Poor Chrono was so mad!" Lindy laughed again, and the purple-haired woman on the holoscreen joined in as well.

"Did he redo them?" Admiral Leti asked, chuckling as she took a sip of her tea.

"Yes, all sixty feet of lights," Lindy smiled. She sighed happily, leaning back in her chair. "I wish you could have joined us this year."

"Maybe next year, I can get the time off," Leti said. "But listening to your stories almost makes up for it. So, what do you think the children are getting you this year?"

"I try not to think about it," Lindy replied, mixing some more milk into her tea. Fate didn't understand why Nanoha always winced whenever she saw that. Tea tasted better that way. "That way I can be a hundred percent surprised on Christmas Day."

Leti chuckled. "Griffith always gets me a scarf. I have a full rainbow by now."

"Ah, but you love them all," Lindy told her. "Oh! Do you know what I really wish for this year?"

"Another pair of gloves?"

"No, I have plenty of those already," Lindy laughed, making Fate's heart freeze when she thought about the half-wrapped pair of leather gloves hidden in her room. "I saw this porcelain angel, the kinds that you put on the tops of Christmas trees? It looked so fanciful, although the paper one Fate-chan made in school looks much nicer on our tree. I just liked how adorable it looked, and the craftsmanship was admirable. They hand-made those, so each one looked different."

"That seems very much like you," teased Leti, although Fate didn't hear the rest of their conversation. She ran silently into her room, dropping the tape on the floor and frantically pulling the gloves out of the neatly folded wrapping paper. The receipt was somewhere—Fate found it in her jacket, and she quickly pulled it on and darted ghostlike down the stairs and out the door, waking Arf from her nap by the fireplace.

"Fate?" Arf loped in her puppy form next to Fate as the two ran to the bus stop. "What's wrong?"

"I need to get a new present," Fate said tightly, her hands clenched tightly around the gloves in her pocket.

"Today?" Arf asked incredulously. "Christmas is tomorrow!"

"It's important," Fate scuffed her boot anxiously on the sidewalk. The ground was covered in ice, but no snow yet. The radio said that it would be a white Christmas though, and Fate had looked forward to having the first perfect Christmas with her new family. But now all she felt was tension, and even picking up Arf to hold her close to her pounding heart didn't ease the anxiety.

Last Christmas hadn't gone nearly as well, with poor Hayate and the Book of Darkness incident making that day a sombre one instead of joyful. This year Lindy had invited all their friends over to the house for dinner on Christmas Eve, although everyone insisted on bringing a few dishes so that dinner would be a sort of potluck. Fate checked the time on her cellphone—still early, so she had a few hours before dinner time. She felt torn, knowing that she was supposed to help Lindy in the kitchen, but she had to find what Lindy wanted…

Arf licked her cheek. "What's wrong with—"

"It's not what Lindy-san wants," Fate interrupted, watching the bus come and stop in front of them. She switched to telepathy when they got on. _I need to refund these gloves then find a…a porcelain angel._

_I think there are lots of—_

_ No, it has to be these handmade ones…where they're all unique._

Arf gave her an incredibly human, exasperated look. _Do you know where to find those?_

_ No,_ Fate admitted, shivering slightly. She had been in such a rush to get to the shopping district she had forgotten to put on more than just a jacket. Arf warmed her hands but her face felt icy. _But I'm sure that the store won't be that hard to find…_

She was wrong.

Four hours later, they were still circling the streets although most of the incredibly last-minute shoppers had left for dinners or parties. Which, Fate noticed with a fallen heart, is where she and Arf _should _be as well. Two hours ago, Lindy had called to ask worriedly where Fate was, and Fate had stammered something out about needing to get something desperately for Christmas. Fate just _couldn't_ go home without having found Lindy's present. She sounded frightened enough that Lindy had told her gently not to worry about dinner preparations, but to be sure to come back in time to eat with everyone.

And now, it was nearly too late to do that as well. Fate stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, prompting Arf to pause and look back at her.

_Fate?_

_ It's useless._ Fate felt her chest tighten up, but she didn't cry. She never did. _I can't even do this…_

_ Fate…_Arf walked over and pawed at Fate's leg until the blonde bent and picked her up, hugging her friend tightly. _Why don't we go home? Everyone must be there already._

Lindy was nothing like Mother. Fate _knew_ that, but she felt the same way towards both of them. It made it hard for her to think at times, especially since she knew how everyone always felt angry whenever they spoke about what Mother had done to her. But they didn't understand that in her head, she loved them both and wanted nothing more than to make them happy.

Nanoha was always telling her that Lindy's nice and wouldn't do anything bad to Fate, but Fate didn't know if _she _had to act differently back towards Lindy. Maybe Lindy viewed Fate differently than how Mo—Precia did, but Fate didn't know how to make her smile except for what she always tried and failed to do with Precia. All Precia wanted was for Fate to get her what she asked for, what she wanted.

She didn't want to fail with Lindy. But it looks like she did, again.

Precia was right. Fate could never do anything right.

"Fate-chan?"

Without needing to turn around, Fate whispered, "Nanoha?" A gloved hand touched her shoulder gently and turned her around. Nanoha smiled at her, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Fate-chan, I'm so glad I found you." She frowned, then unwound her own scarf and wrapped it around Fate's neck. "Let me text Onee-chan and Onii-chan and Chrono-kun so that they'll stop looking."

"They're looking for me?" Fate asked weakly, shivering more even though Nanoha's scarf warmed her body and her heart.

"You stopped answering Lindy-san's calls, so we grew worried. And when you didn't come back for dinner, we came to look for you." Nanoha finished texting and put her phone in her pocket, tucking her arm through Fate's. "Let's go back to your house, okay?"

Fate just nodded, too tired to protest. Nanoha kept a light chatter as they walked to the bus stop, giggling at some of Arf's funny responses and not seeming to mind that Fate stayed mostly silent.

When they got back to the Harlaown residence, Fate froze, seeing Lindy waiting by the front door through the window. Nanoha tugged her along though, and only let her go when Lindy saw them and rushed out, enveloping Fate in a hug.

"Fate! You're so cold—come inside, I'll get you some hot chocolate." Lindy kissed her forehead and turned to Nanoha. "Nanoha, why don't you go tell everyone that Fate's back, and that they can start eating?"

"Okay!" Nanoha pulled off her boots, and looked at Lindy, then at Fate. "Ah…come on, Arf, let's go tell everyone together."

After they scampered off, Lindy guided Fate into the kitchen, coaxing her to sit on the counter and began preparing two cups of hot chocolate. Fate shuddered, looking down at her hands trembling in her lap, waiting for Lindy to start speaking. But Lindy only hummed as she poured the heated milk into two cups and stirred in choco powder before topping it off with a small handful of marshmallows. She walked back to the counter and sat down next to Fate, placing one cup in front of her.

"Here, Fate-chan. Careful, it's hot."

"Thank you," Fate murmured, warming her hands on the mug.

Lindy sipped from her cup, sighing in contentment. She smiled kindly at Fate. "Did you find what you had to look for?"

Trembling, Fate shook her head quickly, then looked down again. She didn't drink yet, not wanting to drop the cup in case—

In case what? Lindy would never hurt her.

Silently, Lindy drank from her cup again, and this time Fate mimicked her, feeling her insides warm up almost immediately. By the time she finished the entire mug Fate felt her shaking stop, feeling calmer than before. She looked up and saw Lindy watching her warmly, and Fate managed to keep their eye contact without turning red and looking down again in fear.

"Now, why don't we join everyone else in the dining room?" Lindy held out her hand. Fate nodded eagerly, smiling back bashfully and carefully putting her hand in Lindy's. They walked into the dining room and were immediately assaulted by a giggling Nanoha who dragged Fate off to sit with Hayate, Yuuno, Arisa and Suzuka.

The dinner dragged on late into the night, only ending when the adults noticed that the kids were falling asleep on their feet. Fate mumbled goodbye to Nanoha, who didn't reply as she was entirely out, sleeping in Shiro's arms as the Takamachi's thanked Lindy for the dinner and left, the last guests to leave. The Wolkenrittir had already driven Arisa and Suzuka home with Hayate, all three of them half-asleep. Dimly, Fate felt herself get lifted off the couch and she wrapped her arms around Lindy's neck, pressing her face into the woven comfort of Lindy's sweater.

Chrono yawned, and called up to them, "Good night Mom, night Fate."

Lindy responded for both of them, as Fate couldn't seem to make her mouth work. "Good night, Chrono-kun. Good night, Amy."

"Good night!"

Gently, Lindy guided Fate through brushing her teeth and washing her face, although Fate was barely aware of anything except for the softness of her bed when Lindy tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

"I didn't—" Fate roused slightly, trying to remember something that had been bothering her earlier. A soft hand on her cheek made all the bad thoughts vanish though, and Fate snuggled into her blankets contently.

"Good night, Fate-chan."

**o**

"Fate-chan, wake up!"

Fate moaned and shifted, opening her eyes blearily. A fuzzy image of Amy appeared in front of her, wearing only a sweater over her pajamas. "It's Christmas! We're opening presents!"

"Presents?" Fate perked up and scrambled out of bed, hearing paper crunch underfoot. She looked down. Wrapping paper? All of a sudden she remembered, and felt her stomach drop. But she had no time to panic, as Amy had rolled Fate up in a fleece blanket and practically carried her downstairs to where Lindy and Chrono waited by the Christmas tree.

"We're all here! Now can we finally start opening presents?"

"Amy, you're acting like such a kid," Chrono complained, but he was smiling. "Here." He passed Fate an armful of presents, then handed Amy a similar pile.

"Are these all for me?" Fate asked, amazed. She blushed, not wanting any of them to laugh at her silly question. No one laughed though, and Lindy's eyes only looked warm and kind of sad when she petted Fate's head and said, "Yes, they're all for you."

"Here, open mine first!" Amy fished out a box from the pile. Chrono cleared his throat, causing Amy to giggle and amend, "Well, mine and Chrono's."

Fate shook the box curiously, making the rest of her family laugh. She started to pick at the tape, but when Chrono mimed ripping the wrapping she tore happily into it, sending shreds of coloured paper onto the carpet. A ghost of a bad memory came to her but she ignored it, more excited with what she had just unwrapped. "The newest Device Maintenance Kit! Thank you so much!"

"Eh," Chrono crossed his arms, his face turning red, "Your old one didn't have the new components to manage Belkan equipment…and it wasn't a lot of trouble."

"Chrono-kun fussed so much about ordering it ahead of time, he made me—"

"Amy!"

Fate laughed, grinning happily. She opened Lindy's present while Chrono and Amy bickered some more, thanking Lindy for the new clothes while Lindy gave her a hug. Then Fate remembered, and she stiffened, feeling her mouth turn dry in panic.

She hadn't gotten anything for Lindy at all—

"Mom," Chrono held out a box. "Here, open this first. It's from Fate and me."

Both Lindy and Fate turned to look at him in surprise. Smiling, Lindy took the box from him, and Fate saw, still confused, her name written on the card beside Chrono's. "Thank you, both of you!" Lindy beamed at them, making Chrono grin sheepishly while Fate blushed, a bubbly feeling appearing inside her chest. While Lindy unwrapped the present Fate gave Chrono a grateful, glowing look.

He winked at her.

"Ah, how did you know I needed a new pair of gloves?" Lindy slid the white leather ones on, her entire face alight. "I have so many plain ones, but these are the loveliest pair I've ever owned." She smiled at them, making Fate dazed with the happiness and love radiating from her Mom. "Of course they are—they're from my kids, after all."

While Chrono and Amy went to the kitchen to make lunch, Fate helped Lindy clean up the wrapping paper scraps and empty boxes. Even though she was floating on clouds after the joyous morning, a knot of tension settled in Fate's stomach again. She quietly stuffed paper into the garbage bag, so caught up in her thoughts that she jumped when Lindy put a hand on her head.

"Is something wrong, Fate?"

"Um…" Fate struggled, wanting to confess the white lie Chrono had told earlier and miserable over a worry that had settled inside her and wouldn't leave.

"Yes?" Lindy prompted gently.

Fate didn't want to put the lie to Chrono—besides, she was incredibly grateful that he had helped her out. In private, she was going to give him a hug for it, but she'd have to make sure that Amy wasn't around to tease him. So she asked her other question. "M—Lindy, I…did you really like the gloves? I know that you…already have a lot of them…"

"Ah," Lindy knelt and smiled, brushing Fate's hair back. "I do have many pairs of gloves already. But these are extra special because you and Chrono gave them to me."

"But…" Fate hesitated. "They're not what you really want."

Lindy laughed lightly. "From my kids, it doesn't matter what _I _want. Fate, anything you or Chrono give me are wonderful and special. It doesn't matter to me what it is. Do you see?"

"No," Fate admitted, hanging her head. She felt Lindy wrap her arms around her, and Fate hugged her back, still bewildered but the longer Lindy held her the more it all started to slowly make sense.

"Nothing makes me happier than loving you and Chrono, and knowing that you two love me too," Lindy said warmly. "Even if you two hadn't gotten me anything at all, I would still be happy."

"I understand," Fate whispered, holding Lindy tightly. If she hadn't gotten any presents at all, she would still be happy, much happier than she had ever been before.

"Merry Christmas, Mom."


End file.
